Bad Boys: Ride or Die
When their late police captain gets linked to drug cartels, wisecracking Miami cops Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett embark on a dangerous mission to clear his name.
Despite a considerable budget of $100.0M, Bad Boys: Ride or Die became a box office success, earning $404.5M worldwide—a 305% return.
1 win & 4 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) reveals strategically placed narrative design, characteristic of Adil El Arbi's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 55 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.4, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Mike Lowrey
Marcus Burnett
Armando Aretas
Judy Howard
Captain Conrad Howard
Christine
Kelly
Dorn
Main Cast & Characters
Mike Lowrey
Played by Will Smith
Miami PD detective, smooth ladies' man partnered with Marcus for decades. Faces mortality and legacy questions in this installment.
Marcus Burnett
Played by Martin Lawrence
Mike's partner, family man who becomes a grandfather. Survives a near-death experience that changes his perspective on risk.
Armando Aretas
Played by Jacob Scipio
Mike's estranged son from a past relationship, former cartel operative. Seeks redemption while helping clear Captain Howard's name.
Judy Howard
Played by Rhea Seehorn
U.S. Marshal and Captain Howard's daughter, conflicted between duty and discovering the truth about her father.
Captain Conrad Howard
Played by Joe Pantoliano
Late Miami PD captain posthumously accused of cartel corruption. His legacy drives the central mystery.
Christine
Played by Theresa Randle
Marcus's wife, long-suffering but supportive partner who grounds him through family values.
Kelly
Played by Vanessa Hudgens
AMMO team technical specialist, provides tactical and tech support for Mike and Marcus.
Dorn
Played by Alexander Ludwig
AMMO team member, tech expert and hacker who assists in uncovering the conspiracy.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Mike Lowrey's wedding to Christine - a moment of celebration and new beginnings, showing Mike's evolution into commitment and stability with his partner by his side.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Captain Conrad Howard dies from a heart attack, shocking Mike and Marcus and setting a somber tone as they lose their mentor and father figure.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Mike and Marcus choose to actively investigate Howard's alleged corruption, committing to prove their captain's innocence regardless of the personal and professional risks involved., moving from reaction to action.
At 57 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat Mike, Marcus, and Armando are framed as fugitives when their investigation exposes them to the real conspirators. The stakes escalate from clearing Howard's name to surviving as wanted men., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 86 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Marcus is captured and faces execution, while Mike must confront the possibility of losing his partner. The whiff of death is literal as Marcus faces a gun to his head, seemingly out of options., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 91 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Mike synthesizes everything - his skills as a detective, his bond with Marcus, and his new relationship with Armando - to formulate a plan. He realizes that trusting Armando completely is the key to victory., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Bad Boys: Ride or Die's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Bad Boys: Ride or Die against these established plot points, we can identify how Adil El Arbi utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Bad Boys: Ride or Die within the action genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Mike Lowrey's wedding to Christine - a moment of celebration and new beginnings, showing Mike's evolution into commitment and stability with his partner by his side.
Theme
Captain Howard tells Mike and Marcus that loyalty and trust are what define true partners, foreshadowing the central conflict about believing in those who've stood by you.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Mike and Marcus's partnership dynamic, their relationship with Captain Howard, Mike's new marriage, and Marcus's near-death experience that makes him believe he's invincible.
Disruption
Captain Conrad Howard dies from a heart attack, shocking Mike and Marcus and setting a somber tone as they lose their mentor and father figure.
Resistance
Howard is posthumously accused of corruption and working with cartels. Mike and Marcus debate whether to investigate and clear his name despite mounting evidence against him, wrestling with loyalty versus truth.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Mike and Marcus choose to actively investigate Howard's alleged corruption, committing to prove their captain's innocence regardless of the personal and professional risks involved.
Mirror World
Mike connects with his son Armando in prison, beginning a relationship that mirrors the theme of loyalty and redemption - showing that trust can be rebuilt even after profound betrayal.
Premise
Mike and Marcus investigate Howard's case, uncovering a conspiracy involving corrupt officials. They team up with Armando, delivering the action and buddy-cop dynamics audiences expect while piecing together the conspiracy.
Midpoint
Mike, Marcus, and Armando are framed as fugitives when their investigation exposes them to the real conspirators. The stakes escalate from clearing Howard's name to surviving as wanted men.
Opposition
On the run from both criminals and law enforcement, Mike and Marcus face escalating attacks. The corrupt officials close in, their allies are compromised, and the evidence they need remains out of reach.
Collapse
Marcus is captured and faces execution, while Mike must confront the possibility of losing his partner. The whiff of death is literal as Marcus faces a gun to his head, seemingly out of options.
Crisis
Mike faces his darkest moment contemplating life without Marcus, processing the depth of their partnership and what he's willing to sacrifice. The emotional core of their brotherhood is laid bare.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Mike synthesizes everything - his skills as a detective, his bond with Marcus, and his new relationship with Armando - to formulate a plan. He realizes that trusting Armando completely is the key to victory.
Synthesis
Mike and Armando execute their rescue plan, confront the corrupt conspiracy, save Marcus, and expose the truth about Howard's innocence. The finale brings all character arcs to resolution through action.
Transformation
Mike and Marcus stand together vindicated, with Armando accepted into their circle. The final image shows their bond stronger than ever, proving that loyalty and trust triumph over corruption and doubt.